Hung Up On Hatches - Need Help!

[Taproot]

My attribute pallet stalls for 20 seconds every time I pick a hatch or tile.  Solids and patterns are fine.  It's driving me a little loopy.  I'm starting to rely on the eyedropper tool just to avoid using it. 

 

I've called Tech support, but the advice that I've gotten is "It's your graphics card" or "it's your RAM" - which I have a hard time believing since we have a second identical machine in the office running the same version of VW and it is performing just fine.

 

So, not to be disrespectful to the process, but at this point, I'm just looking for any ideas as to how to fix it!!  Brainstorm please.

 

I've attached a video of the delay.  The spinning beachball doesn't show up on the video for some reason, but the point that the cursor stops until the pallet opens is the lag duration.

 

The version is the most current: SP3.1 (Designer) on a Mac Pro running Mojave v.10.14.6

 

Attached

 

[Boh]

The same thing happens with me, Tho it also happens with tools that need to access a library resource like insert symbol, tag tool, wall tool, replace symbol etc.

 

I also get an annoying delay when simply changing which resource I’m viewing in the RM. I’m finding myself adapting my workflow with Vectorworkarounds to avoid thee glitches which is far from ideal.

 

I was wondering if is to do with how my libraries are organised?

[Pat Stanford]

Another recent slowdown was traced (possibly) to a bad workspace. Try switching to a standard workspace and see if that help. If it does it is probably time to recreate your workspace.

[Peter Vandewalle]

If Pat’s workspace trick doesn’t fix it, just some ideas:

Are the resource libraries up to date?

Do you use workgroup libraries? If so how many?

 

Otherwise please send us the file?

[Taproot]

1 hour ago, Pat Stanford said:

Another recent slowdown was traced (possibly) to a bad workspace. Try switching to a standard workspace and see if that help. If it does it is probably time to recreate your workspace.

 

@Pat Stanford  Good idea, but unfortunately, that didn't solve it.

 

@Peter Vandewalle I've been doing a lot of updates to the content libraries, so it's possible I've changed something that shouldn't have been. 

 

As a test, I've deleted all of the workgroup library locations and restarted the software.  The problem persists.

Yes, the resource libraries are all up to date.

 

I don't know how a file would help as the issue happens in any file I open / create, even a new blank one, but I'm happy to send you one if you think that would help. 

 

2 hours ago, Boh said:

The same thing happens with me, Tho it also happens with tools that need to access a library resource like insert symbol, tag tool, wall tool, replace symbol etc.

 

I also get an annoying delay when simply changing which resource I’m viewing in the RM. I’m finding myself adapting my workflow with Vectorworkarounds to avoid thee glitches which is far from ideal.

 

I was wondering if is to do with how my libraries are organised?

 

I'm experiencing all of @Boh's symptoms as well. It sounds like we have the same thing at work. 

 

It seems like it is related to some kind of resource look up / search function stalling out.

 

 

[Peter Vandewalle]

Have you tried renaming your user folder?

Quit Vectorworks, rename user folder, restart Vectorworks.

[Taproot]

@Peter Vandewalle That was an interesting experiment. 

 

But unfortunately, the result was the same.

[Pat Stanford]

Create a complete new user (System Preferences:Users & Groups) and see if you get the slow down there?

[Pat Stanford]

And if a new user doesn't fix it try getting an external hard drive and make a bootable clone of your hard drive (Disk Utility [ I think], SuperDuper, or Carbon Copy Cloner). Boot a different machine from the clone and see if it is slow. If not, it is probably a hardware problem with your machine. If the machine booted off the clone is slow, it is probably a software problem.  

 

If you want to be sure, make a bootable close of a machine that runs well. Boot your machine off of the clone. If it runs slow, then it is probably a hardware problem. If it is not slow, it is probably a software problem.

 

If you want to be triple sure, boot your machine off the bootable clone of your machine. If that fixes it, you have me stumped.  ;-)

 

If it is a software problem the best option might be to reformat the hard disk and reload everything.

 

And by the way bootable clones are a good part of a backup routine. At least three separate copies on at least two different kinds of media in at least two geographically separated locations. My basic plan:

  Bootable Clone (SSD local hard disk) Updated before any major system upgrade and then periodically when I remember.

  Time machine to local drive.

  Cloud Incremental backups (I use a program called ARQ) to Amazon Cloud

   In additional almost all data is saved on Dropbox. Which is also backed up to Amazon.

 

Belt, braces, and suspenders. It might take me a while, but I can get almost anything from the last 20 years back.

[Taproot]

@Pat Stanford @Peter Vandewalle @Boh 

 

I'm glad to say that I was able to fix the problem.  Rather than trying to troubleshoot it ad nauseum, I just did a complete re-install of Vectorworks. It took about two hours to migrate over all of my settings, libraries, workspace, etc. to the new install,  but the problem has gone away.

 

Fingers crossed that it stays that way.  Boh, I hope this helps you...

[Boh]

Hope the fix persists for you. I did a reinstall recently for another issue but did not notice any change in processing speed on resources. I’ll try rebuilding my workspace sometime soon and see if that helps.